


at least i avoided cliche

by sunflowerwithfeelings



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Consent, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, Past Relationship(s), Romantic Fluff, Superhusbands (Marvel), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, finals who?, lol i dont know her, makeup artist!Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 01:23:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11003055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunflowerwithfeelings/pseuds/sunflowerwithfeelings
Summary: Bucky drunkenly demands Steve to come to a Halloween party of his and calls a guy to fix Steve up with a costume. Steve realizes this 'guy' of Buckys is actually an old high school 'friend' of his and feelings from ages ago resurface for the both of them. What ensues at Bucky's over-the-top Halloween party is sprinkled with possibility.





	1. an awkward dance for two

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a really good movie called Closet Monster. It's on Netflix and is on the artsy/gore side of things but is super cute and definitely one of my favorite movies!
> 
>  
> 
> You can find me [here](http://queersunflowers.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.

“I would be late getting there anyway.” Steve whined as he stepped onto the midnight's concreted road, his friends trailing behind him. Bucky came drunkenly prancing down from the bars door, his feet thumping against the steps. “Plus, I don't even have a costume!”

“I know a guy who could hook you up with that. He's a makeup artist and everything, you just don't want to go~” Bucky slurred, Natasha holding him up with her arm. She shot Steve a soft glare while Bucky stumbled back up.

“Ugh...fine. I'll go. Give me this _guy’s_ number and I'll call him, but if he's too booked out for Halloween night then don't get mad at me!” Steve groaned, his shoes scraping against the pebbles at the side of the parking lot. He looked at Nat who was maneuvering Bucky into the passenger's seat, before getting in his car and driving home.

Steve's home was small, all he could afford as an art museum security guard. Various lamps lit up the room, his floor was brick with a smooth finish, very minimalistic in Bucky’s eyes. But Steve was fine with that, he didn't need to live a high-class fancy life.

He trudged into the kitchen, the alcohol lightly buzzing at the back of his throat. It was a blessing, yet slight inconvenience, that Steve was a heavy weight.

Grabbing a mug from the top shelf, Steve made himself a hot cup of tea before sliding under the sheets of his bed and falling asleep. 

- 

“Why can't we just go hooommmeee,” Steve's coworker groaned from his earpiece.

Steve was standing with another security guard at the entrance to a new exhibit by some famous artist from Paris. It was around eight, just an hour before closing, when the staff was starting to get a little restless.

“Shut up, i'm tired of hearing you complain,” The guard next to Steve said into his ear.

“We just have an hour left, kid.” Steve replied.

“I still don't understand,” came the voice from over the earpiece. “Why do we have to stay here half an hour after the museum closes? I have a party to be at, it's Halloween! We should leave at 8:30 like we normally do, nothing fishy is going on. Other than this guy on camera 5, who's been staring at this painting of a boat for too long-”

“We stay _because_ it's Halloween,” Steve said. “We've had people break in and vandalize things before. Kids do stupid shit on a night like this.”

“Steve!” The guard besides him snapped. “Language!”

Steve turned his attention back to the entrance, a family of four walking into the exhibit. He felt his face heat up, an uproar in his chest.

They stayed there for what felt like forever, half the time sitting in the room with the tv monitors, the other roaming the halls just in case. 

“Oh, I’m going to this party tonight,” Steve explained to his coworker. “I asked a guy to come here and bring me my costume, my friend insisted I go.”

“Okay, just as long as he's the only one you let in. If anything happens it's on you Rogers.”

Steve nodded his head and stood by the door, waiting for someone to come. He didn't even know what the guy looked like. All he had to identify him by was his voice from the phone call he made earlier that day. He didn't even get a name, just a familiar-ish voice. Surprisingly, this friend of Bucky's was also heading to the party as well and had enough time to doll Steve up.

A car rounded a turn and pulled into the parking lot. Steve watched as a single figure got out and, opening the back door, pulled a box of something out from the backseat. The figure then walked to the museum's front door and giggled them to find them locked.

“Anyone here?” The figure said, by the voice Steve could tell it was the man who he spoke to on the phone.

The man moved his head to looked around and stood on his tip-toes to see if anyone was there. Steve walked up to the doors and unlocked them, ceasing the man’s search, when there was a small gasp from the man.

“Steve?” He said.

Steve knitted his eyebrows together, trying to understand.

“Steve? Its me Tony!” The man said as Steve swung the glass door open. 

Finally getting a good look at the man, Steve saw it was his old friend from high school, Tony Stark. His face was...brighter. In high school, Steve remembered Tony being involved in a bad crowd, always sneaking around and such. It was a wonder Steve and Tony stayed friends for as long as they did back then, the differences between the two was like night and day. Tony was the main reason Steve went to parties in school, and prom for that matter. The two were inseparable for most of the four years ago, their friendship often pushing the envelope of what was considerably normal for most teenage boys…

Seeing him again brought back all these memories all at once. Steve’s eyes widened, a smile stretching from ear to ear. He brought his arms out and hugged Tony tight, the box between them being a little awkward, but Steve didn’t care. Tony made a sound like he was caught off guard but smiled into the crook of Steve’s neck since he couldn’t wrap his arms around Steve.

Steve released Tony; ‘his smile still radiant as ever,’ thought Tony,

“It’s so good seeing you,” Steve said, his cheeks hurting from smiling so much but he didn’t mind.

Steve locked the front door and lead Tony to a small break room for him to unpack his things. When the lights to the room were flicked on, Tony couldn’t help his gaze slowly wash over Steve and his black and white suit. Steve looked still as confident as Tony had remembered leaving him. From a lanky, scrawny boy, Steve did fill our pretty nicely as an adult. Although, when he turned around and flashed an award-winning smile, Tony had to stop his jaw from dropping to the floor.

“So, I don’t have any ideas of what I want to be so I’m giving you all creative freedom. Just nothing too inappropriate-”

“What makes you think I’d do something like that?!” Tony said, trying to sound offended but smiling the whole way through.

“I know you-or, I knew you.”

The bittersweet moment cut through the air and Tony decided to go ahead and dig through his makeup box to try and distract both of them from it. He picked up a color wheel of different skin shades and a brush, motioning for Steve to sit on a chair. Steve did and stared up and Tony with doughy, patient eyes. The paint touched Steve’s skin and it was hard for him not to squirm.

“You’re gonna have to be still-ish,” Tony said as his tongue stuck between the right side of his lips.

A bubble exploded in Steve’s chest, emotions from what felt like eons ago were now resurfacing. To try and distract himself from this, Steve swallowed thickly and decided to make conversation.

“So, is this what you do for a living?”

“No actually. This is just a hobby I have or a stress reliever, I actually design machines and things like that--technical stuff.” Tony said, smirking. His smirk was still the same, catching Steve’s breath in the back of his throat, making him turn various shades of pink. He wondered if Tony could see that with all the makeup he had on.

Tony went back multiple time to grab different palettes and liquids for those palettes. He looked like a real artist.

“So what am I?” Steve asked after Tony had started digging around in his bag again. 

“A zombie!” Tony hummed.

Steve shook his head; Tony unscrewed the cap to something that looked like red jelly, it probably wasn’t jelly.

“What about you?”

“A vampire, I’ve decided to go simple this year.” Tony joked, a hint of laughter lacing around his voice. 

Only what Steve would describe as a tiny, silver spatula is what Tony pulled out from his magical box of wonder. He popped open the top of the jelly jar and dug around with the spatula, getting a fair amount of the product on and walking back up to Steve. Tony’s eyes washed over Steve’s lips, still pretty pink and untouched by the fake scars and such Tony gave him. Temptation flooded Tony’s mind, what he’d give to lean in close. But that was arguably wrong as Steve probably didn’t want that, maybe. Tony couldn’t tell. All he could tell was that Steve was mildly uncomfortable with the fake blood Tony was putting on his face so he scraped some off and continued his work. 


	2. the audience applauses

Tony had left and gotten dressed into this “simple” costume. He returned with a white ruffle shirt, black pants, and an over dramatic cape that was black and red--the costume embodied Tony’s personality in Steve’s opinion.

“Now, I don’t have a costume for you so, we shall improvise.” Tony huffed, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“How?”

“Simple.” That seemed to be Tony’s favorite word tonight, even though nothing about tonight was simple.

Tony walked up to Steve, his cape flapping as he did so. Steve tried to stop himself from giggling but he couldn’t help it. Tony tried his best to be offended but ended up giggling as well.

Tony untyed Steve’s uniform bow tie and unbuttoned the first couple buttons on his white dress shirt. For just a second, their eyes met, Steve’s world freezing in that exact moment. Tony’s eyes were a light whiskey-kissed brown, flecks of gold sparkling through.

Ripping their eyes apart, Tony unbuttoned Steve’s suit jacket.

“Push up your sleeves, kinda messy like.”

Steve did and Tony found it hard to look away from what seemed to be the pure definition of sex standing before him. He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.  
“Well, we’re done,” He glanced at his phone. “And making good time too!”

Steve smiled and helped Tony pack up his things. Letting Tony leave before him, Steve said goodbye to one his coworkers who said he’d be locking up, telling Steve to ‘just go have fun’.

When Steve walked out into the parking lot, Tony’s car was already gone. He knew he would of left but there was a longing in Steve’s stomach, something he hadn’t felt in a while. It was almost nostalgic.

-

Getting to the house, it looked like a powder-keg ready to explode. Bucky’s trees were teepeed, cups and people partying on the lawn and all throughout the house. At the back of his head, Steve hoped he’d run into Tony but looking at the crowd the chances of that happening were slim to none. He sighed and decided it best to find Bucky, who was probably wasted at this point, just so he could say that he was there. Stepping up the front porch, he already wanted to leave. People from high school, people he’d never even seen before were dancing all over the house, the living room and kitchen being the most crowded rooms.

Steve spotted his group of friends-the only people he knew there- by the couch.

“Well you look hot,” Clint chuckled, cracking a smile and shooting everyone’s attention to Steve who stood awkwardly outside of the group.

An arm hooked around Steve's shoulders, Tony was holding a drink and smiling at Steve.

“You did a good job Tony. Now his appearance matches his day job!” Bucky joked.

The whole group burst into a fit of laughter, Steve smiling and looking down at his shoes. He heard Tony's laugh, it was so genuine and pure. It was something he wanted to hear again.

But the moment died down and Steve soon grew bored with the party, he was much more of an introvert than he guessed. Tony was drinking with the rest of the group, but not too heavily. Flashbacks of high school hit Steve as he watched them all have fun. He was happy to be there though, so in a sense he was glad he came. He was glad to see Tony again even if nothing came of it.

-

Somehow through the chemistry of the night, Tony ended up hanging around Steve more than Steve imagined he would. It got to the point where both men seemed to be as equally bored of the party, which took Steve by surprise as he remembered Tony to be quite the extrovert.

“Let's ditch,” Tony stated as he downed the last part of his drink, throwing the red cup in the general direction of the trashcan.

“Why?”

Tony sighed but smirked up at Steve. “You're bored, I'm bored, it's Halloween, let's go do something fun.”

And that's how Steve ended up sitting on the roof of Tony's house, throwing candy at teenagers who didn't bother dressing up and instead just wanted candy. It was around eleven at night, the swarms of angsty teens rampaging the streets.

“Remember when we were like that?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” Tony reminisced. “Good times.”

“Are you kidding me? Those were the worst! If it wasn't for you dragging me along to every party you went to maybe, could of been valedictorian.”

“Oh bullshit. I was the reason you had a social life at all. So what I took you to a couple of parties every once and awhile?!”

“It wasn't-”

Tony playfully punched Steve, “You turned out fine, didn't you?”

Steve smiled and gave up his argument. “Yeah, i guess i did.”

The two locked eyes again for what Tony could only say was the billionth time that night. The way Steve's blue glass eyes cut through his senses was unlike any other. Tony felt himself start to sway in Steve's general direction, his body yearning him to move, do something!

Steve stayed still watching Tony, his head resting on Steve's shoulder. Steve smiled an innocent smile and felt an explosion blast through his mind. This was the equivalent to being in New Orleans on Mardi Gras and being on the main float during the parade. Steve was an expensive firework being shot off during the fourth of july as dozens of people ooed and awed at the light bursts. This was the adrenaline rush you get from snorting coke and sprinting down the street naked or having your first kiss or making the winning point for you team. The inside of Steve's mind was a mess, but he didn't care.

His mental parade was spoiled when he felt a tiny drop of water land on his cheek. Tony sat up and as he did, it began to sprinkle rain. The two quickly stood up and made their way off of the roof, the rain not giving up and coming down harder than before. Tony ran around to the front of his house, Steve following behind him.

At that point, it didn't matter how much Tony's porch protected the two of them, the rain had already done its damage and the two were soaked. Steve's face was dripping with makeup that was activated by water, Tony struggling to open the front door from laughing at how funny Steve looked.

The two stumbled inside, Steve going to the bathroom to quickly wash his face. Tony went to a cabinet he had in the laundry room and grabbed towels, drying his hair and taking off his awfully heavy cape.

“Tony?” Steve called from the bathroom. “Some of it won't come off.”

Tony laughed and remembered he used some makeup that would only come off with alcohol. He followed the voice of a panicked Steve and, bringing out a cotton ball, cleaned the rest of his face for him.

The lighting in the bathroom was low, Steve had only bothered to turn on one light since he thought he'd been in and out of there quickly. The close proximity of the two started a heat in Steve's stomach, he tried his best to shoo it away though. Tony surely wasn't like that anymore and Steve had convinced himself nothing would come of tonight.

But Tony’s eyes seemed focused on Steve's lips. The cotton ball swiped over them multiple times even though no makeup was there. Dampening a towel with normal tap water, Tony went once over Steve's whole face just to get the smell of alcohol off of it. Swiping the towel again over Steve's lips, Tony’s glance went from his eyes back down.

“Can…I, um,” Tony stuttered.

Steve could feel his face heat like a fire. His cheeks probably as red as Tony's costume. He nodded and felt Tony's hot breath on his face. Tony had to extend onto his toes, which Steve found cute but was too distracted by how dangerously close Tony was to him to point it out. Steve got impatient and met Tony halfway, their lips colliding.

The sweet nostalgia feeling that ruptured during the kiss soon turned hungry and the aftertaste of alcohol from Tony washed into Steve. Tony's fingertips grasped at Steve’s blond hair, a moan coming unexpectedly from the back of Steve's throat.

Tony smiled into the kiss and ran his hands quickly out and down to Steve’s butt, squeezing it playfully. Steve felt himself hoist Tony up and onto the countertop, the rest of the night turning into a giant blur.

-

Tony's eyes cracked open and immediately felt a slight sting somewhere on his body, he was still too drowsy to know exactly where. There was a rustling of sheets next to him, someone else in bed with him. The slow realization and memories of the night before came back to Tony, a quiet hum.

He turned to see Steve nestled into his sheets.

“Damn,” Tony whispered. The tiny details in Steve's face weren't new to Tony but seeing them this intimate was different than before.

Steve's eyes fluttered open and his chest lifted and fell smoothly in the morning light. He smiled across at Tony, his face buried half in the sheets. Tony could see the light rouge that gave Steve's face life and character, a bubble wrapping itself around his heart.

“Okay,” Tony croaked. “I'm not gonna be cliche about this and beg you to stay. If this was a one time thing, I totally understand-”

Before Tony was able to finish, Steve was already pushing himself forward to catch Tony's lips with his. The perfect way to shut him up, Steve thought.

Although kissing wasn't a new thing between the two, this simple morning one left Tony a blabbering mess.

"S-so,...you'll stay?"

"Of course."


End file.
